Road striping apparatus



June 4, 1963 c. F. BROWN, JR, ETAL 3,092,325

ROAD STRIPING APPARATUS 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 9, 1960 INVENTORSCARL F. BROWBBJ yRUFU-S W. WILSON KA R1. Pic (3 KS ATTORNEY June 1953 Ic. F. BROWN, JR, ETAL 2 5.

ROAD STRIPING APPARATUS Filed Sept. 9, 1960 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 s: 35 LU l5Fig. JNVENTORS CARL F. BROWN ,Jr. RuFus W.WILSON KARL U). F LOCKS WATTORNEY June 4, 1963 c. F. BROWN, JR. ETAL 3,

ROAD STRIPING APPARATUS Filed Sept. 9, 1960 s Sheets-Sheet 5 Fig. 5.

INVENTOR5 CARL 1'. BROWN,JP. RUFUS W. WLLsON ATTORNEY atent 3,092,325Patented June 4, 1963 3,092,325 ROAD STRIPENG APPARATUS Carl F. Brown,Jr., and Rufus W. Wilson, Huntingdon, Pa., assignors to Wald Industries,Inc., Huntingdon, Pa, a corporation of Pennsylvania Filed Sept. 9, 1960,Ser. No. 55,044 3 Claims. (Cl. 23712.3)

The present invention relates to road striping apparatus, and moreparticularly to road striping apparatus having heat exchange equipmentincorporated thereon for heating the paint to be sprayed.

This application is a continuation-in-part of copending applicationSerial No. 814,449, now abandoned.

At the present time, road striping apparatus is known in which a vehiclehas mounted thereon a container for paint, a paint gun and equipmentsuch as an air compressor for causing the paint to flow from thecontainer to the spray gun. The spray gun is directed at the surfaceover which the vehicle moves, such as a road, and thus applies a film ofpaint to the road. While the application of paint to a road surface bysuch equipment has been a marked improvement over the hand applicationof paint, it has been discovered that such equipment does havelimitations.

In particular, where a crew and designated pieces of equipment are to beused for the striping of a certain portion of a road, the spraying oftenbegins in the morning. Because the air temperature is generally lowerduring the early morning hours, the paint is usually thinned withsolvent in order to reduce the thickness thereof and to permit it to beapplied with ease. The use of solvents, however, creates false film andthe resultant stripe sufiers in hiding power and in lasting qualities.It often happens, also, that a busy crew does not notice the change inair temperature as it proceeds with its job, and later in the morning orin the early afternoon, the air has warmed considerably, so thatsolvents are actually not needed. However, solvents are sometimes addedby the force of routine, and in these instances the paint becomesentirely too thin. The resultant line sprayed with the thinned paint atthe higher mid-day temperatures has even less potential use and life.

It will be understood that the use of solvents and thinhers is an addedexpense, not only because of the materials involved but also because ofthe time of the crew that is involved in determining the amount ofsolvent to be used and in actually introducing the solvent into thepaint and mixing it therewith. Further, the use of solvent lengthens thedrying time of the paint, and thus enhances the danger of trafiicdriving over the paint and causing it to streak. Solvent or thinner alsorequires that more atomizing air be used than is normal, and this causesan attendant increase in the work load on the air compressing equipment,which is generally supplied in order to furnish both atomizing air forthe spray guns and air pressure in the paint supply container. Theaddition of solvents and thinners reduces the paint coverage, and thusreduces both the economy and the quality of the paint application. Thus,these additives reduce the solids to solvent ratio, and as a consequencereduce the film thickness; these thinner films also tend to shrink morethan a film of unthinned paint. Where solvent is used, also, a greaterspray fog is created than otherwise, thus causing both the sprayequipment operator and any passing trafiic considerable inconvenience.

An object of the present invention is to provide road striping apparatusthat will permit the application of paint to a road or the like withoutthe necessity of using solvent or thinner.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of apparatusfor heating and applying paint to a road or similar surface.

A further object of the present invention is to provide road sprayingequipment, including apparatus for heating paint, which apparatus doesnot unduly raise the cost of the spray equipment.

A still further object of the present invention is the provision of roadspraying apparatus in which paint is heated and in which the paint issupplied at an appropriately elevated temperature to the spray gun, andthe provision of such apparatus which is not unduly costly.

Still another object of the present invention is the elimination of theundesirable roar of the engine exhaust which may be extremelyuncomfortable for an operator in the truck cab on this type of mobileequipment.

Furthermore, it is an object of the invention to utilize practically allof the dissipated heat generated by the various components of the roadstriping apparatus and to use the combined heat of the hot water fromthe engine of the road striper apparatus further heated by the exhaustgases from the engine to provide more heat to heat the paint to highertemperatures than formerly attained by previous methods.

Other objects and the nature and advantages of the instant inventionwill be apparent from the following description taken in conjunctionwith the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a plan view, partly schematic, of a road striping apparatus inaccordance with the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic view showing the paint heating and supply systemof FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a plan view, partly schematic, of another embodiment of a roadstriping apparatus in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a schematic view of the heating and supply system of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a schematic view of a different embodiment of a road stripingapparatus in accordance with the present invention.

Referring now to the drawings, wherein like reference numerals are usedto designate like or corresponding parts throughout the several views,there is shown in FlG. 1 a road striping apparatus generally designated10 comprising a wheeled vehicle 11. In the embodiment shown the vehicle11 is a truck having a cab at the forepart thereof and a bed at the rearpart thereof on which various parts of the apparatus are mounted, aswill be hereinafter described. The vehicle 11 is driven by an internalcombustion engine 12 having a radiator 13, and it will be understoodthat the vehicle 11 is, in the embodiment illustrated, of the type inwhich the engine 12 is beneath the cab thereof. At the side of thevehicle, or in a convenient place, is a spray gun carriage 14 supportinga spray gun 15 thereon.

On the bed of the vehicle 11 is an engine 22 connected in drivingrelationship with an air compressor 23. Also mounted on, or beneath, thebed of the vehicle 11 are an air tank or reservoir 24, a paint supplycontainer 25, and a heat exchanger 26. While both of the engines 12 and22 may have integral water jackets therearound for cooling purposes, inthe embodiment of the invention illustrated in FIG. 1, the engine 12has, necessarily, such a water jacket.

There may be seen in FIG. 2 the internal combustion engine 12 having theintegral water jacket therearound, as well as the radiator 13. An outlet3% from the water jacket of internal combustion engine 12 is connectedby a conduit 31 to the inlet of radiator 13, and a conduit 32 connectsthe outlet of radiator 13 with the inlet 33 of the water jacket ofengine 12. A branch conduit 34 con- 'the' inlet 35 thereof, is connectedby a second branch conduit 38 with the inlet 33 of the water jacket ofengine 12.

A second inlet 40 and a second outlet 41 of the heat exchanger 26 arefluid connected with each other, as by a coil pipe 42, and a conduit 43connects the imet 40 of the heat exchanger 26 with the paint supplycontainer 25. Therpaint spray gun 15 is connected with the outlet 41 ofheat exchanger 26 by a paint delivery conduit 44.

The paint flowing through paint delivery conduit 44 is heated by hotwater that is placed in heat exchange relationship with the conduit 44.This relationship is achieved, in the embodiment illustrated, by a hose45 that connects the hot water section of heat exchanger 26 with a pump46, the outlet of the pump being connected with a hose 47 that extendsin folded relationship along the conduit 44, and then returns to the hotwater section of heat exchanger 26.

A thermostatic element 50 is positioned in the heat exchanger 26, and isconnected in circuit with a solenoid 51 that controls the valve 52 inthe second branch conduit 38. Valve 52, which is a regulating typevalve, is opened more or less depending upon the temperature sensed bythermostatic element 50 in heat exchanger 26, and thus permits more orless water to flow out of the heat exchanger 26 and to return, to theinlet 33 of the water jacket'of internal combustion engine 12. Thisserves to maintain the temperature of the paint delivered from the heatexchanger 26 at a constant value. hose 47 serves to maintain the paintflowing through paint delivery conduit 44'at a sufiiciently hightemperature.

The air compressor supplies the air tank 24 through a conduit 60, in theusual manner, and conduits 61 and 62 The. Y

lead from the tank 24 to the paint supply container 25 and the spray gun15, respectively. While the various conduits haveibee'n shown in FIG. 1to be" connected into a plurality of control and diverter valves, thisvalving arrangement has been eliminated from FIG. 2 for purposes ofsimplicity, and since 'FIGJ-Z is a schematic show ing' of the supply andheating systems.

' Referring now to FIG. 3, there is shown a road striping apparams 70that also comprises. a vehicle 11. While the vehicle 11 has an internalcombustion engine 12, the water from the Water jacket of the engine 12is not used asa'heat exchange medium, but instead there is provided aninternal combustion engine '72 for driving the compressor 73, and itwill be understood that the engine 72 and compressor 73'may be differentparts of a unitary item of equipment. The engine and compressor unit 72,73 is provided with a radiator 75, as is shown in FIG. 4; other thanthis difierence, the embodiment of the invention represented in FIGS. 3and 4 is the same as the embodiment represented in FIGS.'1 and 2, andfurther description thereof is therefore deemed unnecessary.

FIG. 5 shows still anotherembodiment of the road striping apparatus ofthis invention in a simplified schematic form. Several of the details ofthe air-paint system are omitted from this figure since they have beenexplained in detail in connection with the previous figures. inthisembodiment superheated water is used to warm the paint to theconsistency desired for best use with the road striping apparatus. Also,the heat exchange efiect is incorporated into the system in such amanner so as to act as a muflier of the engine noises which tend tobecome uncomfortably loud with this type of equipment.

The internal combustion engine 12 has outlet 30 from the water jacket ofengine 12 and is connected by a conduit 31 to the inlet of radiator 13,and a conduit 81 conmeets the outlet of radiator 13 with water pump 82through T connection 83. Water pump. 32 thereby moves the water into andthrough the water jacket of engine 12. A branch conduit 84 connects theoutlet '30 of the water jacket of engine 12 with an inlet 85 of the heatexchanger 86. Inside of heat exchanger 86 the Water is passed throughracoiled finned pipe 87 and out of water outlet '89 to conduit 88 to inlet35 of a second heat exchanger 26; and an outlet 37 of this second heatexchanger 26, which is fluid connected with the inlet 35 thereof, isconnected by a second branch conduit 38 through T connection 83 toconduit 81, water pump 82, and the water jacket of engine 12. The arrowsin FIG. 5 show these paths of the water as described.

During the passage of the water as described above, the hot exhaustgases from engine 12 are passed through T connection 91 through gasinlet 96 into the shell of heat exchanger 86. These hot gases pass overthe coiled finned pipe 87 further heating water therein which haspreviously been heated in the water jacket of engine 12. The gases, nowsomewhat cooled, pass out through exhaust pipe 92. The coiled finnedpipe 87 in heat ex-' changer 86 also acts to muflle the sounds of theexhaust emitting from engine 12. v

Paint under pressure" is delivered from paint supply container 90through conduit 43 to second inlet 40 and to heat exchanger 26 andsecond outlet 41 through paint delivery conduit 44rto. a spray gun withthe action taking place in heat exchanger 26 the same as described alsoreacts at the same time to move butterfly switch 94, in T connection 91to divert the exhaust gases from, engine 12 through a conventionalmufiier 95 instead of through heat exchanger 86; This embodimentof theinvention also serves to keep the temperature of the paint deliveredfrom the heat exchanger 26 ata constant value, although at a highertemperature than the aparatus of the other embodiments described herein,and also provides an additional muffling action. 7

There has been provided herein a road striping appa= ratus that avoidsall of the deficiencies inherent With the use of paint thinner orsolvent. The apparatus of the present invention provides for the heatingof paint in a heat exchanger by hot water from the cooling jacket of aninternal combustion engine, which engine may either be the mainpropelling engine of the vehicle or an auxiliary engine used to drive anair compressor. Heat from the hot water is transferred to the paint in aconvenient thermostat and solenoid control valve connected in a circuit.In addition, cooling of the paint between the spray gun and the heatexchanger is avoided by conducting hot water inheat exchangerelationship with the paint delivery hose. Thus, the present inventionprovides for delivery of paint at a controlled temperature. to the spraygun. Further, the utilization of the hot water from the internalcombustion engine eliminates any fire hazard that would arise from anyother heat source, and thus avoids any fire hazard.

Also, this invention has provided a road striping apparatuswhich'eliminates the undesirable roar of the engine exhaust which isdeafening to an operator in a;

truck cab on this type of mobile equipment, and this has been combinedintegrally with apparatus to superheat water already hot from beingheated'in the engine and thereby heating the paint to highertemperatures than formerly attained by other methods.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes maybe made without departing from the spirit of the invention and thereforethe invention is not limited to What is shown in the drawings anddescribed in the specification but only as indicated in the appendedclaims.

What is claimed is:

1. Road striping apparatus comprising a vehicle, an internal combustionengine for driving said vehicle, a water jacket integral with saidinternal combustion engine, a first water outlet connection connected tosaid water jacket, a first branch conduit connected to said first Wateroutlet connection, a radiator mounted on said vehicle and receivingwater from said first Water outlet connection through said first branchconduit, a second branch conduit connected from said radiator back tosaid water jacket, a Water pump connected to said second branch conduitto aid the flow of Water in said water jacket and said radiator, a firstheat exchanger comprising a Water inlet and a water outlet, and a gasinlet and a gas outlet, a coiled finned pipe connected to said Waterinlet and said Water outlet said Water inlet connected by a third branchconduit to said first water outlet connection, a T connection gasconduit connected between said first heat exchanger and said internalcombustion engine to channel exhaust gases through said gas inlet andsaid heat exchanger through said gas outlet after passing the gases oversaid coiled finned pipe whereby the sound from said internal combustionengine is muflied and the water in said coiled finned pipe is heated, asecond heat exchanger for two fluids, a fourth branch conduit connectingsaid water outlet of said first heat exchanger with an inlet connectionof said second heat exchanger, an outlet connection of said second heatexchanger fluid connected with said inlet thereof, a fifth branchconduit connecting said second heat exchanger outlet to said secondbranch conduit and said Water pump, a secondary fluid, a second inletand a second outlet in said second heat exchanger fluid connected witheach other, a sixth conduit connected to conduct said secondary fluid tosaid second inlet of said second heat exchanger, a seventh conduitconnected to receive said secondary fluid, a first solenoid controlledvalve in said fifth branch conduit, a second solenoid controlled valvein said T connection gas conduit, a muflier attached to said Tconnection gas conduit and an electric circuit including said first andsecond solenoids and a thermostat in contact with the water in saidsecond heat exchanger whereby a raise in temperature above a desiredlimit detected by said thermostat closes said first solenoid controlledvalve and adjusts said second solenoid controlled valve to divertexhaust gases from said internal combustion engine through said muffler.

2. Road striping apparatus comprising a pair of fluid circuits connectedin parallel including a first fluid circuit comprising an internalcombustion engine and a water pump connected in series with a radiator,and a second fluid circuit comprising said internal combustion engineand said Water pump connected in series with a first heat exchanger anda second heat exchanger, a T connected fluid branch circuit connectedbetween said internal combustion engine and said first heat exchanger toallow exhaust gas to pass from said internal combustion engine into saidfirst heat exchanger; a rnufller attached to said T connected fluidbranch circuit; a coiled finned tube in said first heat exchangerconnected into said second fluid circuit; a third fluid circuitconnected to pass through said second heat exchanger whereby fluid insaid third fluid circuit is heated in said second heat exchanger byheated fluid in said second fluid circuit, a first solenoid, a secondsolenoid, and a thermostat electrically connected in series, a firstvalve controlled by said first solenoid and located so as to controlfluid flow through said second fluid circuit, and a second valvecontrolled by said second solenoid and located in said T connected fluidbranch circuit so as to control the flow of exhaust gas from saidinternal combustion engine to either said first heat exchanger or saidmufiier.

3. Road striping apparatus comprising a vehicle, an internal combustionengine for driving said vehicle having a water jacket integral with saidinternal combustion engine, and a T connection exhaust gas outlet onsaid internal combustion engine, a muflier connected to said Tconnection exhaust gas outlet, a water pump connected to be operated bysaid internal combustion engine, a radiator fluidly connected to saidWater jacket and said Water pump, a first heat exchanger comprising ashell fluidly connected to said T connection exhaust gas outlet on saidinternal combustion engine, and a coiled finned pipe located inside ofsaid shell, an inlet conduit means leading to said finned coil andfluidly connected to said water jacket, an outlet conduit means leadingfrom said finned coil, a second heat exchanger having an inlet meansfluidly connected to said outlet conduit means of said coiled finnedpipe, an outlet means on said second heat exchanger fluidly connected tosaid inlet means on said second heat exchanger, a T connected fluidconnection through which said radiator, said water pump, and said outletmeans on said second heat exchanger are fluidly connected, means forconducting a secondary fluid through said second heat exchanger andheating it therein, whereby said secondary fluid is heated to the properconsistency for use in the road striping apparatus, a first solenoidcontrolled valve in said T connection exhaust gas outlet wherebycontrolled gas flow is directed to said shell and to said mutfler, asecond solenoid controlled valve located between said outlet means onsaid second heat exchanger and said water pump, and a thermostat incontact with water in said second heat exchanger serially connected withsaid first and second solenoids.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,833,067 Caesar Nov. 24, 1931 2,038,193 Parsons Apr. 21, 1936 2,134,799Pass Nov. 1, 1938 2,613,665 Miller Oct. 14, 1952 2,616,669 Olcott Nov.4, 1952 2,658,796 Kopperschmidt Nov. 10, 1953 2,661,015 Allred et al.Dec. 1, 1953 2,776,092. Collins Ian. 1, 1957 2,808,048 Garrison Oct. -1,1957 2,889,116 MacCracken et a1 June 2, 1959 2,903,189 Patton Sept. 8,1959

2. ROAD STRIPING APPARATUS COMPRISING A PAIR OF FLUID CIRCUITS CONNECTEDIN PARALLEL INCLUDING A FIRST FLUID CIRCUIT COMPRISING AN INTERNALCOMBUSTION ENGINE AND A WATER PUMP CONNECTED IN SERIES WITH A RADIATOR,AND A SECOND FLUID CIRCUIT COMPRISING SAID INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINEAND SAID WATER PUMP CONNECTED IN SERIES WITH A FIRST HEAT EXCHANGER ANDA SECOND HEAT EXCHANGER, A T CONNECTED FLUID BRANCH CIRCUIT CONNECTEDBETWEEN SAID INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE AND SAID FIRST HEAT EXCHANGER TOALLOW EXHAUST GAS TO PASS FROM SAID INTERNAL CONBUSTION ENGINE INTO SAIDFIRST HEAT EXCHANGER, A MUFFLER ATTACHED TO SAID T CONNECTED FLUIDBRANCH CIRCUIT; A COILED FINNED TUBE IN SAID FIRST HEAT EXCHANGERCONNECTED INTO SAID SECOND FLUID CIRCUIT; A THIRD FLUID CIRCUITCONNECTED TO PASS THROUGH SAID SECOND HEAT EXCHANGER WHEREBY FLUID INSAID THIRD FLUID CIRCUIT IS HEATED IN SAID SECOND HEAT EXCHANGER BYHEATED FLUID IN SAID SECOND FLUID CIRCUIT, A FIRST SOLENOID, A SECONDSOLENOID, AND A THERMOSTAT ELECTRICALLY CONNECTED IN SERIES, A FIRSTVALVE CONTROLLED BY SAID FIRST SOLENOID AND LOCATED SO AS TO CONTROLFLUID FLOW THROUGH SAID SECOND FLUID CIRCUIT, AND A SECOND VALVECONTROLLED BY SAID SECOND SOLENOID AND LOCATED IN SAID T CONNECTED FLUIDBRANCH CIRCUIT SO AS TO CONTROL THE FLOW OF EXHAUST GAS FROM SAIDINTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE TO EITHER SAID FIRST HEAT EXCHANGER OR SAIDMUFFLER.